Between
by Joy1
Summary: Max and Logan's time in the between is coming to an end. Will they learn before time runs out?
1. In the Between

Title: Love and Thoughts

Title: Between

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG

**A/N: This series is dedicated to Rachel who this story was written for. She has kindly given permission for me to post it for you to enjoy. **

A/N2: I appreciate suggestions, but this story is already finished. I am just releasing it in segments. 

Max stood under her shower trying desperately to remember the dream she had been having when she woke. It was the third morning in a row that she felt certain that she had dreamt something important. She knew Logan was part of it, and there was a large group of comfortable people, but she wasn't sure where or who the people were. 

It was her day off, so she rode her baby over to Logan's hoping that the sight of him would jog a memory. Bits and pieces flashed in the back of her head. There was a hotel. The people all lived in an old hotel. She would then see images of faces she didn't recognize. She saw Logan in a light blue turtleneck smiling at her with a gleam in his eyes. It seemed so real, so close.

For three days in a row these images had haunted her. The first day, she avoided Logan because she was totally weirded out by the fact she dreamt of him. The second day, she avoided him because she didn't want to explain why she had blown him off the day before. Now she had no choice but face the music that it might be weird, but she was most definitely dreaming about him for a reason.

Max let herself into Logan's apartment bright and early. Early enough that she didn't anticipate him being up. She crept into Logan's room to find him waking up with a start. He seized a pen and paper next to the bed. He was scribbling furiously when she appeared in his bedroom doorway. Logan actually screamed at her 'appearance' in his inner sanctum. 

"Sorry, I needed to talk to you," Max said apologizing.

"Why?" Logan asked with a great deal of suspicion.

"What's up with you? You're acting like I've done something wrong."

"I'm sorry… It's just… Well, I tried to tell you about this earlier, but you didn't return my calls," Logan said as Max looked at him quizzically. "Now you're looking at me like I did something wrong."

"Sorry… I'm just wondering… Are you dreaming about me?" she asked.

The surprise on Logan's face was tremendous, "Are you?"

"Yes."

"That's why you didn't return my calls… I've been trying to sleep more so that when I wake up I could jot down what I remembered. What do you remember?"

Max thought over the parts of the dream she could remember, "Well, there is a hotel that a large group of people live at. They don't seem threatening in anyway. It's like a commune of some sort. You and I are there…" She gazed down before saying, "You are wearing that light blue turtleneck you have and you're smiling at me."

Logan blinked wildly, "There are people I don't know…"

"…but somehow seem familiar," Max finished looking up at him.

He looked away saying, "You are wearing your leather jacket and blue tank top with your hair up in a pony tail. I don't know why since it would expose your barcode, but… You look happy, content." He wouldn't look back at her face. 

"There's something else you're not telling me. There's something you feel about it that isn't definite, so you aren't saying it," Max ventured.

"I think I am leaving you there…" Logan said with great pain. 

"Are you scared for me?"

"No. I think it is best. I'm happy too," he paused. "I'm scared of what this could mean."

"What? You're scared we're connected?"

"No," he said shaking his head. "That I'm going to lose you to that place."

Max's face became hot, "We don't even know where it is or what this means. No need to worry just yet."

"Do you want to leave Max?" Logan finally found the courage to ask. "I figured this was some weird way I was preparing myself for your leaving."

Max sat down on his bed next to him. "I'm not going anywhere… I don't want to go anywhere… I like my life here. It's home." She took a long pause and summoned the courage to slip in a small admission of feelings. "I mean, I have a job, apartment, friends,… you."

At her last part, Logan looked up at her to see her eyes cast downward. His heart began to race as the possibility of what she was implying sank in. Timidly, he said, "Me? You like being here… partly… because of me?"

"Yeah," she said as her nerves got the best of her. She stood and went to leave the room only to have Logan catch her arm. His eyes were wide open, pleading with her to stay. Running was natural, but staying took guts. They just stared at one another for a long while. He released her arm to see if she would leave. Frozen, Max just stared at him. 

Logan rose to his feet staring deeply into Max's soul. He saw the fear in the deep brown puddles of her eyes, but he also saw the possibility. "I'm terrified of loosing you. I don't ever want to face the day you walk out of my life. For you that dream just meant seeing strange people and me smiling. For me that dream meant loosing the reason I get up in the morning…"

Max was trembling at the words he spoke. She couldn't think. "I've been writing down everything I could about those moments, so I can stop them from ever coming true. I can't lose you," he whispered closing the space between them. 

Max searched Logan's eyes with fear and apprehension. He felt for her, deeply. He was speaking the truth. He would do anything not to lose her. She turned from him without a word. "Max?"

"I'm going to lay down in the other room… I need some time to figure some stuff out," she said with her back to him. He followed her out of his room and to the door of the guestroom. She shut the door and locked it. Logan heard her lock the door and felt his heart crumble into a million pieces. She didn't feel the same about him. 

He trudged back to his room flopping down on his bed with tears in his eyes. "I love you,…" he whispered to the wall hoping somehow she would hear it and believe him. 

"I love you too," she whispered back, having heard his confession through the wall. Her confession was safer because he didn't have her enhanced hearing. 

Each slumped against their beds and let tears briefly fall. Nothing had happened. No emergency had arisen to take her away. He was able to walk and was well. There were no major obstacles between them. If she ran, he would follow. Yet it seemed they were being torn apart by this dream. A dream they shared but didn't understand. 

*************************************

"You've returned! How nice… Mia, the nice couple from that other place has returned. I think they might stay with us this time," an elderly gentlemen in a white robe with a purple sash spoke to a teenage girl with the finest and lightest blond hair imaginable. "You've already forgotten my name haven't you? Since you both returned so quickly I expect you will remember our discussions soon enough."

Logan looked at Max and they were wearing the clothes they each described in the dream. "I'm sorry sir, I don't remember your name. Where are we?"

"Logan, I have to laugh every time you come here. You say the same thing each and every time. You're rather predictable in your politeness. Max here, she is very unpredictable. Last time she even showed me her barcode. I am so proud of you for that," the old man said smiling grandfatherly at Max. "Well, my name Nicholas and you are in the Between."

"We are in between. Now that's rich," Max said gruffly.

"No, you're in the Between."

"Between what?" Logan asked.

"You are in the place that effects your life most. You two have been battling fate for a long while now. Very few people return to the other place with memories from this one, but you fight so hard that we could not think of another way. So now you are back to learn and grow more. Hopefully we can get you, young man, to give up this silly notion that you will scare her off by admitting your feelings."

"What are you talking about? I just told her I was terrified to lose her and she locked herself in my guest bedroom. How else am I supposed to take that?"

"So that is why you returned so quickly. Mia, Mia where are you?"

"What is it, grandfather?" the blond said. 

"Bring me the book please and gather the others."

"I don't understand," Logan pled as a couple of children urged him to a chair that had been set down behind him. Max was ushered into a seat as well. 

"Now let us see… Mia, my eyes are not that good. Has it changed?"

"No grandfather… They will never understand. They just do not trust or love or hope. How can the future possibly move forward without hope, trust, and love?"  
"That is why we will teach them…" Nicholas said to the frustrated girl. 

"They will not even fight to be together," a small boy with dark hair and dark eyes said looking at Max. 

"They are fighting right now," another elderly man said from off to the right. 

"They will find a way," a twenty something woman said from the left. 


	2. Disappearing

Title: Between 2

Title: Between 2

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG

**A/N: This series is dedicated to Rachel who this story was written for. She has kindly given permission for me to post it for you to enjoy. **

A/N2: I appreciate suggestions, but this story is already finished. I am just releasing it in segments. 

"Who are you?" Max asked.

"I am Shane and this is Casey," the elder man said as the younger woman nodded.

"They have returned quickly. Something must have changed or time must be drawing near," Casey spoke. 

"The book has not changed," Nicholas said to her.

Casey's face contorted looking at the words, "No, that changed." She said pointing in the book.

"Yes, but it is not enough," Mia said.

"Patience in all things. You taught me that, grandfather," Casey said winking at Shane. Max and Logan looked at one another nervously for a moment then looked away. "You cannot even look at one another. Why?"

Both became fixated on the woman and her features trying to place why she looked so familiar. She had dark blond, wavy hair that reached her mid-back. She had full, pouty lips that were naturally a soft wine color. She was of slender stature and quiet graceful. Her skin color was slightly tan as if an hour in direct sunlight would change her coloring to an olive coloring. The most striking thing about her was her eyes. They were the color of the Caribbean Sea. Bluer than imaginable, off set by the blue sash over her robe. Looking into her eyes meant losing yourself and all coherent thought. No matter if you were male or female they were that hypnotic. 

Logan spoke after a few minutes, "She ran away."

"I didn't run away. I just needed time to think by myself. I didn't leave."

"You ran away!"

"Well, you waited to say 'I love you' until I was in the other room. I bet you didn't even mean it!" Max stated with a full pout.

"You do not believe that," Casey said cocking her head to one side to examine Max, "Otherwise you would not have said 'I love you too' in return."

Max and Logan's gazes shot to Casey in surprise, to one another, then downward. They sat silently for a long time.

"They will not come around. They do not have it in them," said a child that sat between their chairs.

"They will… They just need time," Casey said with confidence.

"We do not have time!" another child spoke. For the first time Logan and Max realized the group of people from their dream was composed of dozens of children all gathered around them. 

"We have time…" Casey said trying to reassure the small ones that it would be all right. 

"We are disappearing!" 

"I know it is scary, but as long as I exist, we all exist. As long as I exist, you can all return."

"And if they chose **fear**?" Mia asked from Nicholas's side.

"Then we accept it. It is their lives. We cannot force them. If they choose fear, _they_ will find another way," Casey responded.

Two small children crawled into Logan's lap. They rested their heads on each of his shoulders. Children at her feet surrounded Max. One little girl stood by her just staring until she reached down and drew the child into her lap. The couple's faces found each other. A moment of peace passed between them although they still had no clue what was going on.

"Yes, for you. _They_ will find another way for you. Not us," an older boy said from the side of Logan. He looked like a combination of his father and 1st cousin at the same age. 

"You are right… I am destiny… You are the possibilities… We have no say!" Casey stated as clearly as she could. 

The little girl in Max's lap finally said, "I want to be! I want to keep them."

Casey came to the child and said, "That is not our choice. It is theirs… We are what we are. Nothing more." The child began to cry, "Now, come to me before you get too attached." The little girl climbed into Casey's arms and rested her head on her shoulder. "You too," she said to the children in Logan's lap. They climbed down of their own accord and followed her to Nicholas and Shane. Casey kissed the cheek of the little girl and handed her to Mia. 

"Are the rest of you OK there? Or do you need to separate yourselves now?" Some children moved away from the couple and sat at the feet of the elderly men. Some stayed and glared at the couple with contempt. 

"What are you talking about? You're talking like we control your lives. That some how, by our actions, we control whether you live or die," Logan said exasperated. 

Casey chuckled. "Do not worry about us. Spend time thinking about each other."

"No. Let them worry for us. We are their responsibility. They chose!" a teenage boy stood indignantly next to Logan.

"Silence Sean!" Casey commanded. "You will leave until you can refrain from showing such emotions."

"Don't speak to him that way!" Max demanded.

"I am sorry to have upset you," Casey said nodding to her bowing slightly. "You do not understand… Sean, go. He will not be punished, if you are concerned. We just have a limited time, and we cannot be distracted from the course at hand with needless emotions."

Max felt like a dagger had been sunk into her heart. She had been uttering those words to herself that very morning in the shower. She knew emotions were never needless; they just needed to be under control at moments. Apparently, this was one of those moments for Sean. 

"Max, are you Ok?" Logan whispered, seeing the pained look on her face. 

"Yeah… I just… I have a habit of calling emotions needless."

Logan reached over and caressed her cheek. "Its OK. You're learning… so am I."

"No!"The little girl in Mia's arms yelled, then vanished.Casey's eyes filled with tears and she looked down. 

"You see. It is not helping," Mia said amid a cry as she collapsed into her grandfather's arms. 

Casey's eyes rose and let the tears descend her cheeks. She gazed at Max and Logan, who still held Max's face. "I must believe… How can we help them if we do not have trust, hope and love for them?"


	3. Forever

Title: Between 3

Title: Between 3

Name: Joy 

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: PG-13

Several of the children stood and moved away from Logan and Max. They remained standing, as did Casey staring at the couple. A small boy made his way through the crowd of children to Logan. "I am Logan," the dark haired boy said to a much-confused Logan. A smile spread across the boy's face as Logan's eyes drilled into his own. Max looked at the little boy from behind and noticed something on the back of his neck. It was a short series of lines. 

"Where did you get this?" Max asked.

"I was born with it. We all are." The group of children all turned to face the couple. Dark and light haired children pushed collars down or raised hair to display their barcodes. The barcodes were all shorter and smaller then Max's. Mia stood and showed her barcode. 

"We have them too," Nicholas side referring to himself and Shane.

"And you?" Max asked with tears in her eyes. Casey turned around and raised her hair. Beneath her hair was a very distinct barcode almost identical to Max's. "Why is yours larger than the others?"

"Because I am destiny and they are merely possibility."

"What does that mean?" Max asked.

"You still do not understand what you are seeing." Casey knelt in front of the couple. "Who am I? Who are we? Why do you recognize us?"

They sat silently. Screams rose from the children as several others disappeared at once. "No! They are killing us. Just send them back and let us die in peace!" Mia demanded. 

"Silence. There is still time. They can get there… I will not give up. Not when they are this close to understanding," Casey shot back.

"How are we doing this? How are we responsible for the children disappearing?" Logan pled with Casey picking up little Logan. "How can we stop this?"

Casey rose to her feet and went to the elder gentlemen. "They asked…"

"We can guide only," Shane said. 

"But we can show them the door…" Casey pled.

"Tread lightly," Nicholas responded. 

Casey went to one of the children, who had eyes similar to hers. She picked the boy up and went over to the couple. "Look us in the eyes. Why are we familiar? Whose eyes are these?"

Each stared at the faces before them. Max gasped. "What?" Logan asked. 

"Logan, they have your eyes."

"And your barcode," Logan responded.

"Nice combination, huh?" Casey said with a smile. 

"Then you are?" Max asked.

"We are your future," Nicholas spoke.

"We are what you create," Shane said. 

"But how? There are so many things that stop us," Max stated. 

"No, there is not. You are the thing stopping you from being together," Sean said from off to the left. 

"Lydecker… Manticore…" Logan muttered.

"Things that are better overcome together, than apart," Casey responded.

"I may have to run again," Max said.

"Or you can stand up and fight. Or he can run with you. There are very few times there is only one solution," she said calmly. 

"So, we get to be together," Logan asked.

"That is your choice," Mia said, "Like we have been telling you!"

Logan looked at Max with great love in his eyes, "WE get to be together… I don't have to lose you… I love you."

A tear ran down Max's cheek, "We'll find away. We'll fight to be together… I… I love you too. I've loved you for so long."

Logan leaned in and kissed Max. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest. "I'll never let you go…"

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

Screams arose once more from the children, as more disappeared. "What happened? Why are they still disappearing?" Logan begged. 

"They will continue to disappear until you conceive Nicholas and Shane," Casey said calmly.

"What?" Logan asked

"Max- does it make sense now?" Casey said.

"My heat will be hitting me today. Today is when I need to conceive them, otherwise this won't happen…" Max said to Logan.

"OK. So our lives are about to turn upside down."

"Well, we have been trying to push you guys along for a while now so these moments would be natural. However, this is it. Times up," Casey stated shaking her head. 

"Are we ready to go back?" Max asked.

"Yes, you are. Just be patient with each other. Love and life can be difficult. Trust, hope and love. Those three help with everything," Casey said quietly.

"Will we ever see you, them, again?" Logan asked.

"Some. Your sons of course… You will see me at the end of your life. I will be your brave warrior," Casey stated with a smile. "Now, close your eyes and you will be returned."

*******************************************************************

Logan shot up in his bed. For the first time since he started having the dream, he wasn't scared. He knew he just needed to be with Max, nothing else mattered. He was in the living room as Max came out of the guest bedroom. 

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have walked away," Max said to Logan.

"It doesn't matter," Logan said before kissing her. The kiss wasn't hurried or haggard. It was sweet and full of love. "I love you. I want you to be mine, always."

"Logan," was all Max managed to murmur before he kissed her again. "I love you too," she said against his lips. "I'm in heat, Logan… I want to be yours… always."

"We'll get pregnant," Logan said as he continued to kiss her.

"I know."

Logan picked Max up and headed back to his bedroom. He looked at her with great love as he laid her on his bed. "You want to conceive a child with me?" he asked as he kissed her reverently. 

"I want to conceive a couple children with you!" she said pulling him more fully on top of her. 

"This changes everything… I would love to change everything, but I don't want to hold you back," Logan said timidly looking into her eyes.

"Let's change everything. Let's have a baby. I want this. I want you," she said before kissing his lips lightly. 

"Would you if you weren't in heat?" 

"Normally when I'm in heat, the last thing I want is to become pregnant. When I woke up, it was the first thing I thought of, wanting to be pregnant with your baby."

He stared in her eyes, and his filled with tears. "I love you," he uttered as they began to make love. 

******************************************************************

Logan sat silently next to Max stroking her cheek as she slept. "Mr. Cale?" a nurse said from the door. "Shall I bring them in?"

"Oh, yes please!" Logan said as his eyes lit up.

"Your wife did a great job. Twins are hard on anybody, but she is so small I'm amazed she lasted as long as she did," said the nurse as she wheeled the twin boys to him.

"I'll be sure and tell her that when she wakes up," Logan said as the nurse left. "Well, guys. We out number your mom. But I bet you've already figured out, she is a strong lady with her own opinion, so she won't be a push over."

One of the small wrinkly beings began to cry. Logan reached in and picked him up, "Oh, no need to cry. She'll be great. So what should we name you?"

"What about Shane?" Max said from the hospital bed. 

"I'm sorry if we woke you," Logan said handing the little one he was holding over to his waiting wife. 

"It's OK. I was thinking I like the name Shane," Max said as she looked at her son.

"Well, I could go for that. What do you think of Nicholas for this little guy?" 

"I like that," she said with a smile. 

"OK. Look at that. Our first official parenting decision: Nicholas and Shane," Logan said to his sons. "It is very nice to meet you guys, finally. It seems like I've been dreaming of you forever."


End file.
